JUST when market traders and shopkeepers thought they had escaped the foul smell of Loughborough town centre... the stink has returned.

For the last few years, Loughborough traders have been battling with Severn Trent and Leicestershire County Council to mend the drainage system in Market Street.

But this summer, after months of lying dormant, the stink has returned and is causing problems yet again.

Ivor Lovesey, chairman of Loughborough Market Traders Federation, said: Every week it gets worse. It is not just one site but all the way up to Boots and Primark.

I know of a lot of traders who are putting boards down over the drains to stop the smell. Severn Trent say it isnt them, county council say it isnt them, so who is responsible?

Managers at both Greenwoods and Topshop, in Market Street, are also kicking up a stink.

A shop assistant from Greenwoods said: Our shop flooded the other week because of the torrential rain and the smell was disgusting.

Another shop assistant added: The smell is particularly worse on market day. The sewer is right underneath our shop and the smell is always rising up.

Leicestershire County Council has blamed this summers torrential rain where 22mm of rain fell onto the town in just two days.

A council spokesman said: The drains in the Market Place are cleaned at least once every year due to the increased likelihood of debris entering the system.

The storm in Loughborough last Friday was of an intensity that when it was happening the surface water could simply not reach the drainage system quickly enough. The storm may itself have washed more debris into the drainage system and we are therefore bringing forward the planned cleaning to be completed over the next few weeks.

Severn Trent said it would send out a team to investigate but if anyone has any concerns to ring them directly.